2018: The Edge – Brisbane’s Public Make Space Encounter

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parkview
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2018: The Edge – Brisbane’s Public Make Space Encounter

Post by parkview » Sun Oct 21, 2018 5:51 pm

While on a recent visit to Brisbane, the Hamilton’s visited The Edge, a free public work space that blew our minds. Paul Hamilton has blogged about the facility so I wanted to introduce you to one of the people we met during our visit.
It was my pleasure to meet Lisa Bell, owner, designer and maker for Curious Carousel. Lisa uses the equipment at The Edge to produce limited edition jewellery pieces which are available online via her Facebook page, Etsy and a number of other trendy jewellery websites.
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While Paul got on with the tour of facility, I stopped with Lisa while she programmed and initiated the laser cutter to begin cutting the parts required to build her latest earring and brooch designs – the Scottish Thistle.
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I admit I was nearly thrown into a zombie-like trance watching the (shielded) light of the laser cutter dancing back and forth over the swirly glittered acrylic sheet. Lisa’s work uses some of the most spectacular sparkled and pearlized acrylic I have ever seen.
I asked Lisa about her business. She cuts most of her own acrylic right there at The Edge. She admitted that a few of her pieces use a type of acrylic that requires special handling. She contracts those items out for cutting. What was so great to hear was that Lisa’s jewellery business supports her. It was uplifting to meet someone with an artistic vision and some tech know-how that had taken an idea and made it a self-sustaining business. That this all has come about is due, in part, to the accessibility of the expensive, specialised equipment provided by Queensland’s free make space located in the State Library in downtown Brisbane.
Alas, now I am left with trying to convince my husband that we don’t have to move to Brisbane!
Lisa’s work can be viewed on line: https://www.facebook.com/curiouscarousel/
To learn more about the edge, you can click here: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/libr ... s/the-edge

Written by Diane Hamilton

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